Q & A with Jaromir Hlavsa of Linen

As we were sat at the Linen bloggers evening, a brainwave overcame Jamie. The head chef, Jaromir, had been out several times to introduce his dishes. It was a nice touch: it enabled us to learn who the man behind the, er, magic was. He didn't have the fierce demeanour of the stereotypical head chef, but instead, seemed a pleasant and humble fella. The rise of the celebrity chef means that we may well know where Ramsay trained, or what Heston's favourite comfort food is, but rarely do we know the same about the man (or lady!) who's putting our dinner on the table tonight. Jamie decided to get in touch with Jaromir shortly after the tasting evening to find out more about what made him tick...

Jamie: Firstly, what's your culinary background and why did you decide to become a chef?

Jaromir: It was a little bit random, I didn’t know what career to choose. I knew that 2 of my cousins were chefs and I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do when I was 14-15, so I said to myself I’m gonna be a chef like them. I had a chance to select my school quite carefully and it was a good place because it was always 1 week on placement and 1 week in college - you definitely learn best when you’re working.

The management of the school were quite good in that if they saw that someone was doing well they would push them into better placements. I said to myself if I'm gonna do this job I'll do it the best I can. They saw that and got me a placement in a really good hotel in  Prague. The head chef at the time actually does the Czech version of Kitchen Nightmares. I was 18 when I got that job and I was there for 5 and a half years in Prague. The hotel restaurant was the first to get a Michelin star in the Czech Republic, it’s difficult to get in Eastern Europe so it makes me proud that we got a Michelin star

I started as a pastry chef; it wasn’t as easy to get promoted. In the Czech Republic it's different, a lot of the positions here are about money - you know, 'if I'm a commis chef can I become a chef de partie and get paid more'. There it was less about money, it was a really good job but when you start someone tells you you can get £2000 a month working in a pub or £300 in a kitchen. You have to think seriously whether you really want to do it.

Jamie: Was the food at the Radisson influenced by Czech food? Do you cook Czech food at home?

Jaromir: There was a lot of French cuisine at the hotel, not quite fine dining but close. A lot of Czech food isn’t that easy to do it’s quite heavy and takes a few hours to be done properly. When I’m at home I prefer to cook some pasta, or something with rice, something healthy and relatively easy to make. I like the idea of a taking a few good quality ingredients and not messing with them too much .

I quite like looking at home, after cooking here for two hundred people it’s quite easy to cook for yourself.

Jamie: So, After 5 years in prague you came to England?

Jaromir: My friends moved to Manchester. They transferred from the Radisson in Prague to the one here, they didn't like it and went to work in Malmaison, they sent us a message saying they had jobs there and at first we intended to come over, work, improve our English for a year, then go back to Prague…but it’s going to be nearly 8 years now that I’ve been in Manchester. I spent seven and a half at Malmaison - I started as a chef de partie, then became a junior sous chef, then sous chef and I was head chef for the last few years there. Every time I wanted to change there was a new opportunity and it’s a really good company to progress in.

Jamie: What made you move from Malmaison to Linen?

Jaromir: I spent most of my professional life working in a hotel, I'd never really worked in a restaurant. Linen is somewhere in between - it’s still more like the hotel than the restaurant because the building is open 24 hours, the bar’s open 'til early in the morning, there are quite a lot of meetings in the Icon. I really like this restaurant, I think it’s got great potential, if you get the right produce and people start talking about it. We do really well at the weekend,  we did three hundred [covers] last Friday... people come here for a special occasion. I’m trying to change people’s minds and show them you can still come here on a Tuesday and have a great meal at the same price as other restaurants in the area.

Jamie: Is your ethos at Linen to take a few good ingredients and make a simple meal?

Jaromir: I'm quite a comfort eater. It’s nice to go to a Michelin-starred restaurant once in a while and get eight taster courses then get a takeaway on the way home, but I like decent-sized portions and the classic sequence of starter, main course, dessert. The dishes here are good value for money. I'm also trying to do things seasonally. These days you can buy a strawberry all year round and have the same menu on all year, but I don’t like to do that. If you buy tomatoes in the middle of winter, they’re gonna look like tomatoes but they won’t taste like it. I like to use produce when it’s at its best, as it makes a big difference.

Jamie: Is part of your future plan to change people's perceptions of Linen? Will you stay here and make it your own?

Jaromir: I don’t like to get jobs for a just a few months. I like to have a vision, a project. I knew this restaurant had had its ups and downs and that it wasn’t really consistent. It was a chance for me to kind of make it my own right from the start. What I didn’t like about Malmaison was that in the last few months they started to have group suppliers and group menus, someone in London decides on the menu and it kills creativity. Until then everyone knew Malmaison for its creativity and every hotel had its own concept and individuality. Then they introduced the American diner concept, which I didn’t understand.

Jamie: Are there any restaurants in Manchester that you really rate?

Jaromir: You know, I really like to eat Asian food and I don’t think I can make it as well at home as they do in restaurants. So it  might sound silly but I like Chaophraya or Tampopo, what they do is great and cheap. I pop in when I’m in the city centre and have a light lunch, it’s an open kitchen and what they do is really good.

Jamie: Are there any cookbooks or chefs that have particularly influenced you?

Jaromir: Lots of different chefs have influenced me but since I was really young I’ve liked Jamie Oliver because he has great passion. I know a lot of people hate him here because he was on T.V. so much, but if you think about what he does, he just wants people to eat healthily, eat good food rather than just put something frozen in the microwave.

As far as cookbooks go, the last couple of ones I've bought are called Apicius with different techniques from Michelin-starred chefs. If I served some of the dishes from it, there would just be three pieces of spaghetti on the plate and the customers here would probably want to come and get me from the kitchen! But a lot of the dishes are beautiful. They want to make you try something new. I've probably got almost every cookbook by Jamie Oliver and they're really good for inspiration too.

Jamie: What's the most unusual dish you've made or tasted?

Jaromir: I'm trying to do most of the dishes quite locally so there’s nothing that weird on the menu here. When I was in Prague we used to do promotions for different cuisines at the hotel. One time we did Australian and another time South African, so we actually had a chef fly over from Cape Town to show us how to cook alligator, antelopes, which was really interesting and a good chance to taste dishes we’d never tried.

Jamie: Finally, have you got any good cooing tips for our readers?

Jaromir: I've got loads but it's hard to think of them when you're put on the spot... A good tip for making dauphinoise potatoes is not to wash the potatoes after you've cut them. I see a lot of young chefs do that. Same goes for boulangere potatoes [cooked in stock rather than milk/cream - Jamie]. If you wash them you rinse off the starch which then stops the potato slices sticking together.

Head to Linen Restaurant at Manchester 235 to see how Jaromir's training has influenced his current style.

Our next Q&A will be with Eddie Shepherd, of Modernist Vegetarian. Stay tuned!

Restaurant Bar & Grill, John Dalton Street

We were recently invited to the Restaurant Bar and Grill - in conjunction with Manchester Confidential - to try out their new menu and heated terrace area. Unfortunately there appeared to be a function taking place outside, so we did not get the chance to check out the terrace, but we did enjoy a delightful meal, courtesy of the restaurant.

When I lived in Birmingham, I often thought of 'Bank', one of RBG's sister restaurants, as a real treat to visit. Despite not having visited any member of the Individual Restaurants chain since living in Manchester, I was looking forward to finding out whether the Restaurant Bar and Grill would live up to my fond memories of Bank.

We dined at 7pm on a Wednesday evening, and were seated in the main dining area, overlooking John Dalton street. Despite the road not being the most picturesque of streets, it was still pleasant to be seated next to the large glass window. We were introduced to our waiter for the evening, Kenny, who - from reading other reviews - is either their only waiter, or the only one trusted enough to look after bloggers! Either way, he was a fantastic server, informative and friendly, attentive and unobtrusive. I certainly hope he is getting a big pat on the back from his manager for all of his hard work, as every blog I have read has said what a great waiter he is.

We were given our menus, which were quite a battle in themselves. Restaurant Bar and Grill appears to counter the Ramsay theory of keeping your menu short. From what I've read, and seen, they certainly seem to manage to produce high quality dishes despite having such a large choice. I might, however, recommend that they reduce the physical size of their menus: as a petite lady of 5'1, the luxurious leather bound item was nearly as big as my upper body!

Whilst we decided on drinks, bread was brought over with a Vietnamese style dipping oil. We had noticed that their menu features quite a lot of Asian influence. Whilst the dipping oil was perfectly balanced, I'd prefer this on a beef salad, and would rather stick to salted butter. I'm just being fussy though as Jamie certainly seemed to enjoy it.

To drink, I opted for a small glass of the South African Sauvignon, as I had already decided that I would be opting for a fishy starter. Jamie had decided on the chicken liver parfait, and complimented this with a glass of the Valpolicella.

Chicken liver parfait

Unfortunately we didn't get a shot of the accompanying sourdough bread, which was served in a mini toast rack. I loved this idea, and Jamie agreed - the accompanying toast for parfaits can so often cause problems with presentation that this mini breakfast item was a lovely idea. The parfait was just as one should be - incredibly rich with a delightful apple & pear chutney sitting alongside. Jamie was very pleased to see it encased with clarified butter... In his words, 'if you're going to eat parfait, you're basically going to eat a whole stick of butter, so you may as well have some more'. God help his arteries.

Thai squid

Having drooled over the Gourmet Kitchen's recipe for salt & szechuan pepper squid earlier in the week, I couldn't resist the Chilli squid with Thai herb & noodle salad; very well balanced I thought I could taste notes of white peppercorn, fennel seed and star anise, but I might just be making that up! It was a good dish, but I couldn't help but wish I went for the naughtier option of duck spring rolls (nothing against the starter I did have, just a case of food regret...).

Our mains nearly ready, Kenny came over to ask if we would like a wine to accompany our mains. He recommended a Malbec to go with my duck, and a Chilean Sauvignon for Jamie's fish. I should mention now that at the start of the meal, I had merely suggested to Jamie that we should each try a fish and a meat dish for both starter and main, to showcase the restaurant's variety, and perhaps try out their specials. After reading about the 35 day dry-aged steaks, he was wavering as to whether this idea should be carried out. I think he didn't want to be too cheeky by having one of the most luxurious items on the menu, and instead went for the salt-baked sea bass. We were intrigued to see what this was like, as it is something we had tried ourselves at home a few months earlier.

Before our starters arrived, but after we'd ordered, we saw fellow blogger, Simon who raved about the steak. Instant regret washed over Jamie's face. I suggested we ask if he could change his main - it would be unlikely that they would have started cooking sea bass already! He stubbornly refused & insisted I would be to blame if he didn't enjoy his main course.


I almost felt like we were on the Michel Roux documentary about Escoffier when the waiter appeared table side with the salt-baked sea bass. He appeared to fillet it well, and it's certainly no easy feat, especially with an audience! Jamie did however find a few bones, which I don't think really matters, but unfortunately Jamie is more of a scaredy-cat when it comes to fish bones than I am. I did take a photo of the impressive salt-bake around the fish, but our stupid camera must have deleted it. Grr!

Salt-baked sea bass

The sea bass came with either chips or house salad, and Jamie, of course, when for the former (not that I was complaining!). Having realised that orange actually works very nicely with sea bass the night before, he also opted for a rosemary & orange sauce. We also had a side of broccoli with cashew nuts and chilli oil. It tasted a bit like they had used chipotle or ancho chilli with these, which seemed unlikely - but I would love to know what chilli they did use if the kitchen reads this?

I, for some ridiculous reason, went for the most man-sized portion of food ever. Jamie managed to stop being huffy about not having gone for the steak, as he basically got to eat one and a half mains, as I struggled with mine. I'd also been craving duck (hmm...lots of food cravings.. I'm definitely not pregnant though!), but knew I wasn't going to be able to have it as I had seen their menu online. Lo and behold, my luck was in - it was on their specials list! Served with orange and er, I think it said "aromatics", I was very pleased to see this on the menu.

Half a Gressingham duck

It came with a deliciously rich jus and a perfectly-cooked fondant potato. This was very impressive as I've never had one cooked so well in anything other than a starred restaurant. The portion was huge, and though we were not paying, I felt would have been very good value for money. The plate had a whole duck breast and leg! I literally only managed half of it and Jamie ate the rest. The deep sauce and salty bird - cooked to perfection - was beautifully complimented by the segments of orange littered throughout. Kenny's recommendation of Malbec was a great choice - the aroma of cherries were bursting out of the glass which compliment the gamier flavours of the duck beautifully. Jamie also said his white wine went well with the bass.

We were pretty stuffed after all this, but when I saw that they had macarons on the menu - and that they were made in house - I couldn't resist. I also thought I would only get three as it listed three flavours, but there were actually five! Again, Jamie did well for himself, as he got to eat a significant amount of these. Though pretty to look at, they weren't at room temperature and the shell seemed a little too dense. They were still tasty, but have a little way to go before reaching Pierre Herme's standards. Looking at the menus online now, I wish we had have asked for a standard drinks list, as I see they have chocolate sazeracs on their menu, and I would have happily replaced macarons with one of these for dessert! - my absolute favourite cocktail.

Macaroons

Jamie opted for the black forest gateau Eton mess! Two of his favourite desserts combined - all they needed to do was pop a little creme brulee on top and he would have been in heaven. It was beautiful to look at, but very rich. I think someone with a sweeter tooth than Jamie's would have adored this, but Jamie felt it would benefit from more forest fruits running through it to counter the richness of the chocolate brownie and ice cream (actually, I added in the 'forest', Jamie said it should have had strawberry or banana as that's what Heston said was served in the messes at Eton...blah blah blah). I tasted the chocolate ice cream and it was gorgeous!

Having always associated Restaurant Bar & Grill with the clientele of Panacea, I didn't know what to expect of our dining experience. I can honestly say that the food was delightful and well-cooked, and I was pleased to hear that absolutely everything is made on site - even down to the ketchup that goes with their burgers! We felt that this would be a great choice for somewhere to eat as a large group, or a family meal, as the menu offers something for everyone, and it appears that you can rest assured that it will be as tasty as it sounds. I'd like to thank RBG for their generosity in inviting us as guests.

Restaurant Bar & Grill
14 John Dalton Street, Manchester
M2 6JR
0161 839 5511

Thomas Restaurant

After only a month or so in the food blogger's game, Anna and I were very excited to receive an invite to a 'bloggers evening' at Thomas in the Northern Quarter. This might be, to my knowledge, the first time a Manchester restaurant has done such a thing (if not, please do set me straight); undoubtedly a savvy move by the owners. To be sure, The Fat Duck it ain't, but who's complaining when you get to try a new menu, meet fellow food geeks, and give feedback.

Our hosts, and the proprietors, were Nicky and Yvonne, the team behind the Bay Horse and former owners of Soup Kitchen. The evening began with a tour and a cocktail - I went for a Negroni (classic combo of gin, sweet vermouth and campari) and Anna chose the 'Joan Collins' which is essentially a Tom Collins with the addition of muddled grapes and sage. And very nice they were too. Nicky and Yvonne were extremely welcoming and seemed genuinely enthusiastic about showing off the new menu.

Crab cakes

The tasting began with a trio of starters. A perfectly executed crab cake with mango and chilli salad; a deliciously salty and wonderfully textured goat's cheese tart; followed by potted ducked wrapped in prosciutto atop a chorizo and borlotti bean hash. Having only visited Thomas once a couple of years back, I hadn't been sure what to expect, but I wasn't disappointed. The crab cake was easily one of the best I've had and the tart was, if not original, very well made. However, the duck dish was not as well thought out - the duck didn't shine, being overpowered as it was by the smoky bean crush and prosciutto, and, overall, it was a little dry.

The menu has a definite autumnal feel and nowhere was this more evident than in the main courses. The Yorkshire lamb shank, meltingly tender and very hearty, made me imagine fattening up to see out a cold winter. The nutmeg in the gratin dauphinoise and the redcurrant and marsala jus almost sent me forward in time to Christmas.

Yorkshire lamb shank

It was nice to see plaice on the menu as I had only just seen Rick Stein extolling its virtues as a fish. The fillet lay on a perfectly cooked potato fondant (sigh of relief, as I've seen many an undercooked one in my time) and was finished with a delicate coriander bisque, asparagus and spring onions. The artichoke risotto, the favourite dish at the press review, was a bit of a let down. It was slightly overcooked and tasted overwhelmingly of tomato and vinegar in my opinion. The crumbed egg yolk that topped it was nonetheless delicious. The consensus was that the Lamb Shank won dish of the evening and is very good value at £15.95 considering how generous the portion is.
 

Whitby plaice

The desserts were all extremely moreish, devoured quickly by the bloggers, and will meet with no complaints from me. It would be worth going to Thomas on the strength of the tiramisu alone. Apparently based on one of chefs' family recipes, it is a perfect example of how light delicate a dessert it should be. The lemon tart and tarte tatin were both suitably rich and filling. 

Tiramisu

Yvonne was keen to push the wines and came across as very passionate about pairing food with wine. The Thomas Bassot Macon-Villages complemented the starters well, cutting through the fat and salt with its minerality and dryness. The perfumed Aimery Viognier would be delicious as an aperetif wine, but is perhaps too pungent to be paired with a lot of the food. The Villa Domiziano Chianti was bold enough to stand up to the strong flavours in the lamb dish.

The team at Thomas have done well to create a menu which will appeal to everyone and it is certainly pitched very well at this time of year - sensitive to the approaching autumn and the lack of summer. In aesthetic and attitude, they have always tried to stand out from the crowd of bars that pepper the Northern Quarter and the solid food and cocktails are sure to keep customers coming back for more.

SoLIta Bar and Grill

The prospect of eating at SoLIta had my mouth salivating, my stomach rumbling, and my arteries looking frantically for the nearest exit...




Artery-assault: deep fried Mac 'n' Cheese

After attending a press review lunch at SoLIta, I initially wrote a small preview for tasteofmanchester.com, with the view to writing a full blog post soon after. Then the shit hit the fan and every food blogger in Manchester was reviewing the place. So, I decided to wait for the storm to subside, bide my time, then give my two cents, for what it's worth.


Out of the ashes of Sole, SoLita is born.


The restaurant brings the bar and grill concept to the Northern Quarter for the first time. The idea is to serve comforting, homely food in a New York-Italian vein, or what owner Dom Sotgiu understatedly calls ‘posh kid’s food’.

The menu is a carnivore’s dream - even the ice cream, made by Cabrelli’s, comes with bacon candy. Nibbles come in the form of fried chicken skin, a lighter alternative to pork scratchings; starters include bacon jam on sourdough, deep-fried cod balls, and the amazing pulled-pork sundae, which is sure to become a firm favourite among customers.

Pulled pork sundae



For the main courses, Dom has chosen some of the cheaper, tastier cuts and made them shine with the help of the Inka charcoal oven, which produces results that rival the best outdoor barbecue. The Short-ribs, aka Jacob’s Ladder, are slow-cooked for two days before being finished in the Inka, a recipe for deliciously tasty meat. A hanger steak (the tail end of the sirloin), notoriously difficult to cook, is exquisite and a steal at just over £16.

Other standout dishes include the behemoth deep-fried mac ‘n’ cheese burger, which has to be seen to be believed, and the sumptuous beef and bone marrow burgers on a perfectly light, yet sturdy demi-brioche bun. Even the side salad and chargrilled vegetables are brimming with flavour.




Cheeseburger

Desserts come in the form of ‘deep-fried coke’ (coke-flavoured churros), cheesecake, and the astoundingly good chargrilled pineapple with coconut ice cream. Dom has also been lucky to get hold of some fine mixologists and baristas and with a fine range of cocktails there’s more to the place than just meat.

SoLIta is not somewhere I can imagine eating very often however. This is perfect comfort food (read: 'having had a few too many beers the night before' food). The salt, fat, and sugar will satisfy all your desires for excess. Not to be indulged in more than once in a while but very good when you do.

They will undoubtedly have stiff competition from Almost Famous and Home Sweet Home but I do hope that the owners can make a go of this difficult dining spot.


Deep fried 'Coke'

LiveBait

Wednesday night. A stressful day at work. Who doesn't want to come home to a sated and smug looking boyfriend who's had the day to sample Solita's new menu, proudly brandishing a jar of bacon jam? Okay, I'm not complaining - well... I am - but I did appreciate eating that sticky smokey goodness from my fingers as a post-work snack.

You're probably wondering how this has anything to do with LiveBait. Don't worry, I haven't gone all A.A. Gill on you (I vow never to turn into him when it comes to reviewing!).

Jamie's post-deep fried mac'n'cheese slump, and my apathy for cooking anything complicated after frying my brain all day in front of InDesign meant that we turned to the Taste card. I'm not sure how we acquired this, but I do know it was free, and the expiry date was fast-approaching. Feeling lazy, and never one to miss out on a bargain, we knew it was calling.

LiveBait is one of the restaurants that the Taste card offers a discount for. I'd read a review of its new menu over at Manchester Confidential, and it certainly seemed that it had changed hands for the better. Having previously trusted Jonathan Schofield's review of the revised menu at 101 Brasserie and had a fantastic meal on its recommendation, the odds were soon stacking up in favour of dining there.

The many years I'd spent working in various dining and drinking establishments across Manchester seemed to finally pay off: industry knowledge taught me that Wednesday is delivery day, hence LiveBait may well have caught a fresh flock of fish that day (I know, it's not the right collective noun, but school doesn't have the same ring to it...). We were sold.

We'd called ahead (as the T&C of the Taste card requires), and arrived at the restaurant for 8pm. Prime dining time, though sadly not for this place. There were only five tables - including ourselves - seated the whole time we were there. LiveBait is a huge restaurant, probably around 200 covers, and so I imagine it really needs more than 11 people to get a real atmosphere going - and the lobster tank geared up. The tank distinctly lacking in shellfish (i.e. totally empty) in the only fish restaurant in central Manchester was an humane, but disappointing sight. I began to worry... maybe the food was only decent when Man Con reviewed it because they'd sussed out who their guests were? I soon discovered my worries were all in vain...

We ordered our wine (a bottle of Albarino - reasonably priced, around the £20 mark). It was a pleasant dry white which worked well to accompany our dishes. The wine list was varied, and didn't look like it would break the bank. They do a deal of 6 oysters & 2 glasses of Prosecco which might also be a nice way to begin.

To start, I had the octopus salad. The octopus was well cooked, very tender, and the salad well dressed. It also had some naughty little oily potatoes hiding in amongst all the healthy looking leaves, which were salty and tasty and actually worked quite nicely, adding a different texture. We took a photo but I think you can all imagine what a plate of salad leaves looks like, so I shan't patronise you by adding the photo here! Jamie's starter was more interesting to the eye...

A well cooked piece of pork belly was the perfect salty accompaniment to a plump, sweet scallop. It was a few weeks ago that we went, but if my memory serves me correctly, it came with cucumber ribbons on the side, which tasted as if they had been marinated in some sort of Chinese-inspired acidic dressing (Man Con review tells me pickled - makes sense). Whilst tasty little morsels of cucumber they were, the marinade wasn't necessary and didn't particularly work with the modern surf'n'turf. I understood the thinking behind the dish but sometimes I reckon when you're going to be as indulgent as eating pork belly and the queen of the sea together, you should just concentrate on the pure succulence of the ingredients themselves. When they're cooked this well, the chef needn't hide the stars behind a raggedy old curtain. They also added - what I could imagine in a poncey restaurant being called - a 'texture' of pig ear, i.e. deep fried. It was certainly only there to add texture, as the taste was unremarkable. Chef: please see earlier comments, leave your tasty centrepieces well alone!

For mains came two pieces of fish - which, I hate to say, I could have cooked better at home. They weren't over or underdone, but where was the crispy skin?!?! This is the best bit of the fish!! And the closest thing I can get to feeling like I'm eating something naughty when I'm actually being reasonably healthy.

I had the striped bass, as shown below....

Look at that skin..... almost glistening with its moistness. It really saddens me when a beautiful piece of fish is ruined like this. Don't get me wrong, I get sad at real stuff too, like on Undercover Boss when they reveal themselves & give Joe Bloggs, who loves cleaning toilets for a living and does the best damn job of it anyone's ever done, a 50p pay rise. Anyway, salad no.2 was reminiscent of a beautiful nicoise, though I can't help but feel that it wouldn't have needed those croutons if they'd just cooked that skin... okay I'll shut up about it for now...

I tried to escape it, but I can't. The limp skin is back. I shall say no more, but it is present. This dish was pretty under seasoned, which was a shame as the sauce/bisque could have been really tasty. What you can't see from this photo (and I'm wondering if Jamie did this strategically to wipe its existence from its memory) is the er, 'bed'(?!) of polenta. I've never been a huge fan of this Italian semolina and this did nothing to start a club. It tasted like solid scrambled eggs fused with bread and butter pudding. Yum.

I feel like I've nearly gone all Bob Granleese on one of Manchester's better restaurants looking over this review, and that's unfair. We had a really enjoyable time - service was good, wine was hangover-free, and the starters were above par. I do feel that Man Con's review was a little on the generous side, but I would revisit - at least to check our their oyster and Prosecco deal - once they've 're-branded'. Using the Taste card, it was very reasonably priced, but I don't think I would've been overjoyed if I'd paid full price for those meals. Let's put it like this: if you're not as anal about your fish skin as I am then you'll probably spend less time whingeing and more time enjoying your meal.

Goks and Woks

A seasoned wok

I am loathe to admit that Gok Cooks Chinese has reignited my passion for cooking Chinese food at home. Loathe, because there is something that irritates me about Gok Wan's fashion/body-image programme, and I had jealousy made derogatory comments about his sudden transition to TV chef stardom. However, I was forced to eat a leaf of humble bok choi when I watched the show and realised his restaurant-owning chef-father had taught him to cook and that Gok is actually pretty authoritative on the subject. (I must also admit that the infuriatingly nice Ching-He Huang's 'Chinese Food Made Easy' inspired me to try Chinese home-cooking for the first time.)

So, full of enthusiasm and armed with £20, I set off for Chinese-supermarket-Mecca, Wing Yip, intent on equipping myself with a wok and a cleaver. I’d had a tip-off that their woks were not to be sniffed at and that their Chinese cleavers were good value. However, without a wok expert whispering advice in my ear, I couldn’t really pick out any discernible difference, except size, between the cheaper woks. My theory was that when properly seasoned (more on that later) a cheap one would be as fit for purpose as the Ken Hom endorsed non-stick variety. I opted for a wok around the £7 mark, incredible value considering the versatility and efficiency.

Next up, the cleaver. My only requirement was that it be sturdy, with enough weight to glide through some of the bulkier vegetables and to mince meat coarsely. So I felt the weight of a few in my hand, and - after more deliberation than I had expected - chose a heavy, wooden-handled cleaver at £7. Feeling pretty happy with my purchases and left with a surplus of £6, I bought some store cupboard staples - 100% sesame oil and some Shaoxing rice wine.

Chinese cleaver

At home it was time to begin the seasoning. To the uninitiated, this doesn’t involve sprinkling the wok with liberal quantities of Maldon and sitting back waiting for something magical to happen. Seasoning is the process by which a wok is given a non-stick shiny coating or patina. It involves coating the surface of the wok with a thin layer of oil then heating it to the point that the oil smokes. This temperature is maintained until the oil ‘cracks’ and forms, by some rather complicated chemical reactions, compounds that turn the surface non-stick. The same process is used on cast-iron frying pans.

Modernist Cuisine's guide to seasoning a wok

The instructions that came with my wok informed me that it was necessary to remove the rust-proof coating before seasoning. I'm not sure if this is the case for all woks of this type, but grab a wire brush and some cream cleaner or detergent and scrub. Don't fret if the wok looks like its gone 10 rounds with a pack of mountain lions, it's going to be black and dirty-looking once seasoned. 

Incidentally, if your wok is looking worse for wear here's a good video I found on how to give an old wok a facelift on the Chow website.